


something to miss

by Space_Samurai



Series: Gang Activity [3]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Isle of the Lost Series - Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Bisexuality, Cultural Differences, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Romantic Friendship, United States of Auradon (Disney) Is Not Perfect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 04:43:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20270197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Space_Samurai/pseuds/Space_Samurai
Summary: There might be a thing worth missing from the Isle. Gang activity was an everyday thing. At Auradon, well…Auradon is not as progressive as it seems.





	something to miss

**Author's Note:**

> Look, if "gang activity" isn't a way of saying poly dating I don't know what it is 
> 
> I just fell on the rabbit hole that is this fandom and I love it.
> 
> Also tags are hard, so if you think anything is missing feel free to tell me.

Jay is the first one to notice.

These people are weird: too trusting, bright and cheery. The smiles in their pretty, clean faces seem to be stuck there. Jay sees through them, having given his share of fake smiles to the girls in Isle, with one hand in their hips and the other slipping off every ring and bracelet they had on. The ones that didn’t make it to his father’s shop made it to Mal and Evie. The first one didn’t care much for them, but Evie had always smiled brightly at him and thanked him for the shiny things.

There’s a lot of talk about the True _ Love _, cursed word that still makes him cringe a bit, but Jay is yet to see any… Well, action?

Back in the Isle, he could hardly make a run through an alley without stumbling upon a pair going at it against a wall. He didn’t stay to watch (not really his thing, sounded like something Harry Hook would do though) and he didn’t judge (because who was he to judge _ anyone _?), just went on his way. And while he wasn’t expecting to see any of that at Auradon, the land of pure hearts and goodness, it was still a bit weird.

There are some couples at Auradon, like the future king and his stern-faced girlfriend, but they were not what Jay used to see at the Isle. Beginning with the fact that _ couples _ as such didn’t exist…Gang activity was much more of a thing in the Isle than dating. For example, Jay knew better than double checking when Gil or Harry Hook walked past him, as he didn’t want to end up walking the plank (and he totally had no reasons to stare at Harry Hook’s behind, nope).

In return, Gaston’s sons knew better than staring too much at Evie or messing around with Carlos. People stay out of their way unless they want to land on Mal and Jay’s bad side. If they had been the Isle’s nightmare as children, it only got worse as they grew older and stronger. Mal didn’t gain her territory by making friends.

Mal always made sure to let everyone know who belonged to her back on the Isle. Jay had no complains about walking around with dark marks on his neck, even if the girls in the market didn’t seem to like that someone had been there before them. Evie’s claim was more subtle, yet evident. She was the one that dressed all four of them, so everywhere they went they’d carry her mark.

Mal would walk with her arm around Evie’s waist and their hips stuck together. She would call Carlos _ pup _, kiss his forehead and ruffle his hair. It was the most common thing in the world, well at least the in the Isle, nobody spared them a glance.

They don’t say the ‘L’ word, it’s not a thing in the Isle. They don’t need to, they’ve got each other’s back and they can count in one another. It’s enough.

Jay had never questioned any of it, things were how they were, and anything else was inconceivable. Though he had known from his father and the other villains stories, when they felt like telling them, was that it wasn’t very common for this _ couples _to be formed by more than two members. This members always being handsome prince and helpless (or not) damsel. But in the rare occasion that he pondered on the life beyond the barrier, he had always brushed it off as an oddity from Auradon.

He starts to think that things are more than a bit odd when they are given rooms at Auradon prep dorms. He shares a room with Carlos that’s bigger and nicer than his room behind his father’s shop and Carlos’s little closet back at Hell Hall combined.

“Okay, everything’s settled.” The boy that had took them there fidgets nervously at the presence of villains kids. Jay immediately thinks that Uma and her crew would have a field day with him. He wouldn’t last long in the Isle. “So, uh, rules! No smoking, though you two don’t, ah, seem like the kind. No girls in the room or the dorm at all after five, and-” Jay interrupts him.

“No girls in the dorm?” He repeats. “Why is that?” For real, now that they have a big room with large beds where the four of them can fit, they get told they can’t? 

The boy goes red up to the ears. “It’s, ugh, to avoid certain situations…” When Jay only blinks at him, he coughs awkwardly. “You know, the school board wouldn’t want anything i-inappropriate to happen under their roof.” The light bulb turns on above Jay’s head, and he has to keep himself from frowning and openly laughing at him.

_ ‘And he thinks nothing _ inappropriate _ will happen with just the two of us in the room?’ _ He wonders idly, the question at the tip of his tongue. Mal had told them to stay on their best behavior, so he shuts up and says nothing instead. He just nods at the boy. He can’t read minds, but he’s certain that Carlos is thinking the same thing. 

Also, most of the time they only snuggle or watch TV together. Is it because they are villains that something _ inappropriate _(what an irritating word) must happen between them? Must be an Auradon thing.

The rules don’t stop them from slipping into the girls room at night, nor they stop Mal and Evie from coming to theirs. Apparently someone sees them getting out at dawn, because Fairy Godmother’s face is tight and stern that morning at “Remedial Goodness”. She gives them a talk about boundaries and propriety, and Jay _ finally _gets it. 

“This is not the Isle of the Lost,” she continues. “I don’t presume to know how privacy and.” she almost stutters, “_ sleeping arrangements _ worked there, but here things are different.” Jay can tell Mal is enjoying the woman’s discomfort at the topic, and maybe he’s enjoying it a bit too. “You will respect the rules of the dorms from now on.” 

She makes them swear it, and for all their word is worth, they comply.

For extra confirmation, he hears his teammate’s off-handed comments about the Isle’s girls and boys. About how the Isle is overpopulated and they live in small crowded spaces on top of one another.

Something strange twists on his stomach as he hears them talk about life in the Isle, which wasn’t _ great _ by any means but it was still his, _ theirs _ . Later, when he can’t meet Mal’s eyes at lunch, he realizes it was shame. That night, _ he _holds Carlos as if he could slip away at any moment.

* * *

Mal is not the first one to notice, because she already knew.

Come on, she didn’t have to be a genius to know what things were like in Auradon before even getting there. She’s heard the stories (prince meets princess, defeat the villain, they get married and get laid, make babies, etc.). There are no stories about gangs and secretive kisses in gritty alleys, no, that’s a thing of the Isle. About exchanging loyalty for protection and about wars for territory. 

Just like there are no fairy tales in the Isle. They don’t have time for the singing animals while living surrounded by murderers and thieves.

There are barely any stories about the Isle at all, Auradon is more than happy to forget them all and enjoy their Happy Endings. Mal doesn’t blame them, once she gets everything she wants, she’ll forget about them too. 

It’s not until the VKs arrive to Auradon that rumors begin to spread and Mal has a good pair of ears, she hears all about it. Some are hilarious, auradonians have funny ideas about how things work in the Isle of the Lost. Others are not so much and Mal has to bite down her tongue to keep herself from screaming at them. The Isle required no politeness from its prisoners, she never kept herself in check there.

She tries to ignore the tragic ones. 

_ Villains don’t love their kids? _

If she wanted tragedy, she would have stayed in the Isle.

The ones that _ do _ make her blood boil and turn her eyes bright greens are the ones about the islanders ways of relating to others. In Auradon, a place of side hugs and pecks on the lips and cheek, the ways of the Isle are scandalous and _ wrong _. They are all about the True Love and courtly manners.

A part of Mal also feels like justifying it, the electricity went off all the time, staying with people you knew well was safer. During the winter there’s no heat, sleeping close with others kept you warm and you felt _ safe _ . There are not many times Mal can claim she felt safe, other than when she’s with Carlos, Evie and Jay. The people of Auradon might look down on it, but then she remembers that she owes them _ nothing _ and there’s nothing with the way she is with her friends.

Mal loves no one and no one loves her, and it’s fine. If she _ had _to feel love, under a spell or something, she’s pretty sure she’d love them.

Eventually, Mal comes to find out that even if they _ did _ were more auradonian in their relationships, the people would still be a bit stiff about it. Apparently two princesses and two princes together wasn’t the norm, and while no one would tell them anything to their faces, the older generations would scowl or shake their heads on their backs. 

It’s not an unusual thing in the Isle, everyone knows that Harriet Hook and Mad Maddy get cozy behind Dragon Hall once in a while. The same way, Gil and Harry Hook share a cot at the Revenge and it was known that the son of Captain Hook was very protective of the other boy. As was Uma, the leader of their pirate crew. Messing with Carlos meant getting your ass handed by Jay (and her) and upsetting Evie was wishing for a death sentence.

Evil Queen was glad that her daughter had made peace with Mal after their banishment, but she still wished for her daughter to grow beautiful and marry a prince with a big castle. She might have been the only person in the Isle of the Lost to give a damn about the matter, since she had once been royalty and well, she was _ old _. For Evie’s sake, Mal made a conscious effort to keep their closeness a secret from the Evil Queen.

Maleficent couldn’t care less about her daughter’s liaisons, as long as she kept creating chaos and causing unrest in the Isle. Hell, the Mistress of Evil would have encouraged it if she knew it would ruffle a few auradonian feathers.

No one else would even glance their way if they were to kiss, if Mal were to tangle her fingers in Evie’s long curls and wrap her arm around the girl’s waist.

Gaston the Third had stared a bit too long once, but for different reasons, and had earned himself a black eye.

At Auradon, they don’t kiss or hold hands in public. Not that they did that much in the Isle, but there goes one more thing she can’t do in Auradon. She even has to keep herself from leaving marks in Jay’s neck, and her hugs with Carlos can’t last for too long.

They might have clean water, their clothes aren’t made of rags and patched together, apparently full meals three times a day happen to be a thing and you don’t have to look over your shoulder all the time in fear someone might jump at you, but there are things Mal misses from the Isle of the Lost.

Now, as she sits for lunch with her friends, she wonders what she’d be doing if they were on the Isle. No, Mal _ doesn’t _want to go back, but old habits die hard.

Maybe they’d be skipping class and they’d miss nothing of value, because Dragon Hall classes left much to be desired by auradonian standards. They would all climb up Carlos’s treehouse and spend the day there. Maybe they would be breaking havoc in the market as they usually did and after that they’d all head to their lair to watch some boring auradonian channel on the old TV Carlos had repaired. All four together, as they were meant to be.

She looks up to see Jay throwing his arm over Carlos’s shoulders, to which the boy complains that he’s _ heavy _ and only incentives Jay to drop his whole weight over him. Carlos screeches indignantly and Mal snorts, by her side is Evie fixing herself on the mirror. She meets Mal gaze and smiles. “How do I look?”

Mal doesn’t lie to Evie. “You look perfect.” She resists the impulse of kissing her cherry-lips and conforms herself with just smiling at her. It doesn't matter, she tells herself. They can cuddle tonight.

* * *

Evie’s smile masked her disappointment.

Evie spent ten years in a castle with only her mother as a companion, she had a bit of a romantic soul. The Isle hadn’t exactly met her expectations when it came to romance. It had been quite a shock, to say the least.

Her mother had taught her how to cook, sew, clean, dance and sing in the hopes that those abilities might help her to catch a prince’s eye in the future. And while those were good traits for a prince’s wife, they were pretty useless for a girl of the Isle.

She couldn’t really fight or defend herself from the bigger and more dangerous kids, and she had been marked by Mal since the first day she left the castle. Her life had been hell, Evie had never felt as lonely as she did in those first months. Carlos, kind and roguish, had been her salvation and first real friend… and a bit more.

Her mother had buried deep in her head how _ important _ it was to save her first kiss for the right prince. There wasn’t any princess that had kissed men before meeting the _ one _ and Evie wasn’t allowed to either. She felt that others would know, somehow, that her prince would be able to read it in her face if she did so. So she ignored the way Gaston’s sons would stare at her and rejected the offers that came her way, even if they could earn her protection and safety.

Carlos offered nothing in exchange for a kiss and that may be the reason why Evie did it. He was a handsome boy, the same age as her, perhaps not as tall and strong as others in the Isle but Evie _ liked _him. So when she has her chance, she kisses him clumsily in the treehouse. As if they were ten and not sixteen. They both blush and separate before a minute passes. It was no True Love kiss, but Evie felt the butterflies in her stomach.

Apparently, she was not the only one who had noticed the de Vil boy. Jay, son of Jafar, had a thing for him and would pester him after and during school. She really didn’t mind him, he seemed content with tormenting others and stealing. She learnt to keep her fists closed when he was around, so he wouldn’t be able to take any of her rings. The only problem she had with Jay was that he came with Mal as a bonus.

Before long, the four of them became inseparable. The Rotten Four of the Isle. The children of the worst villains.

Mal was protective of the things that belonged to her and made sure to let everyone know that Evie was one of those things. After ten years in a castle and some months out in the Isle, Evie began to truly feel safe. She was protected and cared for by her friends, untouchable to anyone unless they wished to die painful deaths. And soon, she wasn’t only under Mal’s protection, Mal made sure that Evie learned how to fight. Jay himself taught her how to throw a punch.

Evie began to notice things, as she was a very observant girl. Like Mal’s eyes, then Mal’s hair. At first, she had thought it was envy. Then she realized it had nothing to do with envy and decided to act upon her wishes. Evie comes to find out that the purple locks _ are _in fact as soft as they seem, the only thing softer are her lips and hands.

Her mother had taught her that she’d only be happy once she married a handsome prince, but Evie had been truly happy in the months before they left the Isle of the Lost. Yes, she didn’t always get full meals and her mother’s scream pierced her ears, but Evie had her _ friends _. Friends who like her and wear the clothes she makes for them.

Evil Queen rarely left the castle, so if she wanted to walk around with anyone from her gang, she’d do it without thinking twice. What her mother didn’t know couldn’t hurt her which wouldn’t make her hurt Evie in return.

Auradon was a dream come true, even if one that would soon meet its end.

She was a bit naïve, perhaps. She had thought they’d be able to walk all four under the sun and stars –which couldn’t be seen from the Isle, maybe that’s why she yearned for them- with not a care in the world. Yes, they did it on the Isle, but they couldn’t get too mellow or they’d be seen as weak. The ‘L’ word would pop into everyone’s mind and that would be the end of their reputations.

Auradon is close to what her mother had described as court. The boys maintain a respectful distance from the girls and the kisses are chaste and reek of sweetness. It’s not as appealing as it once was, but Evie feels no grief over it. While the princes don’t read in her face that she’s kissed someone before, they assume it and worse since she comes from the Isle. It hurts a bit, that and their implications. She keeps it to herself, for if Mal or Jay hear about it, trouble is sure to come

They live their own version of a romantic affair of sorts when the boys sneak into their bedroom to spend the night. They eat viciously and like kings, Evie _ almost _ forgets her manners and Mal doesn’t pretend to have any.

There’s nothing romantic about the face of Fairy Godmother when she tells them they have been found. _ Snitched _, Evie thinks. Snitches didn’t last long in the Isle, nobody liked them.

It’s only then that she realizes _ how _different things were in Auradon. It stings and the beauty of the place fades in her eyes. There’s no hope that her friends haven’t realized, but Evie feels better knowing that they won’t care at all. She’s one thing, but Jay and Mal? As if they were to give an apple about the rules of ‘prissy princesses’. The thought cheers her up.

As they have lunch, while Carlos and Jay wrestle at the table, Evie suggests they should all watch a movie tonight. It’s been a few days since their failed attempt at robbing the magic wand, they deserve a break from villain duty. Everyone agrees soundly and quickly and Evie smiles happily.

She might not get to kiss them under the sun, but at least they can all get tucked together as they did on the Isle.

* * *

Carlos never notices, despite being arguably the smartest one from the gang.

Life in the Isle was hell, he was all too agreeable to leave that dreaded place. He wouldn’t have to be his mother’s slave, no one would yell at him or hit him. While they come to Auradon with a mission, it feels like a vacation of sorts.

Dragon Hall is nothing in comparison to Auradon prep. The building was basically falling on the students heads, so it didn’t take much. The tech lab is a paradise he could have never dreamt of, the teachers are kind of wary of him but Carlos is eager to learn this things while he still can. Jay calls him a ‘nerd to the core’ and ruffles his hair, but Carlos scoffs.

Yes, breaking havoc early in the mornings before school was fun but going to class without having to worry about getting poisoned, stabbed or mugged was great. Mal would probably disagree, but everything was easier for Mal. The room he shared with Jay was bigger than his mother’s room at Hell Hall, which _ was _something.

It sucks that the girls can’t come at night to hang out, they used to have the best late night meetings back on their lair. They come and go a few times until they get caught by someone. Fairy Godmother gives them a sermon about why they can’t be doing that but Carlos just stops listening at the half. The people of Auradon need to loosen up, would it kill them to have a bit of fun? Maybe.

He notices that most of the auradonians don’t know much about how stuff works at Isle. He’s yet to see a group like the one he belongs to. He can’t imagine not living like this, without his friends. It must because of the lack of _ gang activity _. A cultural thing, Carlos thinks. He spends the rest of the class wondering how the gangs at Auradon would be like.

_ Ben would probably be a leader _, he concedes. Though he’s not much like Mal or Uma, and his relationship with his girlfriend is nothing like the one Mal shares with Jay, Evie and him. She’s too possessive, Carlos realizes. He can’t imagine her sharing with Ben with anyone. Gangs wouldn’t work at Auradon, he concludes.

Thank evil, he and his friends are from the Isle.

The Fairy Godmother had been firm, but Carlos knows that’s not the end of it, they only have to find a way to sneak in their bedroom without being seen by the guards or cams. If they could go through Uma’s territory without getting caught, finding a way to do this is so easy it hurts his brain.

They climb the girls window that same night, it’s even easier than climbing to the top of his treehouse. He’s not sure why, but everyone seems extra tired and clingy that night. Usually, he’s the clingy one. It’s almost as if they were going to watch TV on their old lair, all together.

Carlos and Evie share the middle of the bed while Jay and Mal move things around. They’ve picked a movie call ‘Evil returns’ considered one of the best horror flicks from Auradon, since none of them had ever seen a movie –other than some of the questionable tapes that go around the Isle- it seems fitting to start from there.

Mal turns the lights off and takes her place by Evie’s side, wrapping her arms around the girl and kissing her cheek. Evie giggles when Mal fingers tickle her by accident and the other girl just huffs. Carlos laces his hands with Evie’s, as they always do. He’s always warm and Evie happens to be cold all the time. Jay is a furnace behind him, he falls asleep before they get through the first half of the film.

Much to their disappointment, the film has a happy ending. His and Evie’s, for Jay and Mal have passed out already. He raises an eyebrow at Evie, who whispers at him. “Can you two stay?”

Carlos nodded, trying to find a comfortable position with Jay’s gigantic body crushing his. Bastard always had a deep sleep. “Do you have an alarm set?” They’d need to slip out early, before anyone woke up.

Evie smiled. “I wake up an hour and a half earlier to get ready.” Carlos almost snorted, that was Evie. She opened her arms at him. “Come here.” Carlos complied.

She tucked his head below her chin, brushing his hair with her fingers. Carlos started to fall asleep, with Jay’s arm tightening around him, as if he was afraid he’d go away. “Carlos?” Evie’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Ah?” He yawned in her neck.

“Sweet dreams,” she wished him. He would have said it back, but sleep claimed him first.

  


**Author's Note:**

> Any thoughts?


End file.
